When Ernest Oberholtzer left the island in 1957, he left many things there as a “living museum” and in the care of his friends and heirs.  As we work with the collections, we see it as a bold reflection of the many facets of Ober’s character.  He was a classical violinist, a Harvard graduate, a reader and collector of books and prints, but he was also a practiced photographer nearly every day of his life, and he was continually studying about Indigenous peoples and diverse cultures across the globe.  The archives reflect much of this, and thus they offer the researcher or student an unusual glimpse into collections gathered in the Twentieth Century and still lasting.

The Oberholtzer Foundation has an Archives Committee of its board of directors with the following purpose:

The committee exists to oversee the island-based library and archives held on Mallard Island, and to recommend to the board of directors various management directions regarding the care, use, and conservation of these assets.  Many volunteer research and writing projects have arisen from Ober’s collection.

Archival material is also held in storage in Minneapolis and in the archival holdings at the Minnesota History Center.  Oberholtzer himself had a relationship with the Minnesota Historical Society (MHS), and we have maintained that relationship.  MHS holdings include correspondence on micro-film, photo slides and prints, and digital copies of oral histories recorded in Ober’s day.  Archive committee work includes improving our understanding of this public resource and expanding upon the depth of knowledge surrounding these holdings.